When children head off to school, they are away from the family home for at least 6 hours, sometimes more. During this time, your children need to be provided with nutrients and energy that is essential for them to learn, grow and play. This is when the “lunch box” takes centre stage.

Preparing the lunch box can be a daunting prospect for parents. Having a bit of a plan can ease the burden, and satisfy even the fussiest eaters. Children like to snack, so filling the lunch box with a variety of food items will encourage them to eat, and lead them towards a balanced diet. Preparing the lunch box at home will set a good example to your child. Your child will begin to learn what types of food are considered healthy, and what they need to eat to get through their day.

At this early stage in your child’s life, the parent is responsible for helping to educate and inform family members about healthy food choices. This will set up your child’s eating behavior for their adult life. A school aged child learns quickly and is easily influenced by family and friends. Generally, they want to do the right thing, and love to be praised for it.

So with this in mind, packing a healthy lunch box can become a great learning tool. Get your child involved, let them help prepare the food, and decide what goes into their lunch box. They will be more likely to enjoy what they are eating if they played a role in packing it.

With childhood obesity on the rise, it is important to help your child to make the right food choices, now. A healthy well balanced diet will put your child on the path to reaching their full potential and boost their immune system to ward off illness.

The school day is a long one, and nutritious food enables them to concentrate and stay focused in the classroom, while having energy for play time.

Always start the day with a healthy BREAKFAST, and follow that up with a healthy lunch box.

Your child will learn to eat what is familiar, and in time they will become used to the healthy lunch box, and look forward to it.

As your child moves through the school year, they gain independence, have pocket money to spend, attend parties and will take visits to the canteen. As a parent, you want them to reach the stage where they are confident to make healthy choices on their own, and be aware of the foods that are considered special occasion treats. It is all about balance, and the occasional treat is not going to do any harm.

WHAT TO PUT IN THE BOX?

The items you choose should be simple and easy to prepare, easy to eat, and store well in a lunch box. Variety and colour will help to avoid a boring lunch box.

If we think of the lunch box as 4 separate areas, it is easy to cover all the food groups, and obtain a balanced diet.

1 serve

SANDWICH OR ROLL

With FILLING (see below for filling ideas)

2 serves

FRUIT AND

VEGETABLES

1 serve

SAVORY SNACK

1 serve

SWEET SNACK

IDEAS FOR EACH SECTION:
IDEAS FOR LUNCHTIME FILLINGS:

tuna, chicken, ham, cheese, egg, avocado, spreads,

salad items

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES:

apple, pear, orange, nectarine, grapes, berries, banana,

Tinned fruit, Snow peas, Green beans, Carrot and celery sticks, Capsicum sliced

Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber rings, Lettuce leaves, Corn Cob

SANDWICH OR ROLL With FILLING:

2 slices wholegrain bread

1Wholegrain Roll

Lavash Flat Bread

Bread stick

Savory Bread Twists

1 Pita Bread

SAVORY SNACK:

Rice Crackers

Corn Thins and vegemite

Dry biscuits

Nuts: Cashews, Almonds

Cheese sticks or slices

Popcorn (air popped)

Grilled pizza muffin

SWEET SNACK:
Fruit Muffin

Hot Cross Bun

Homemade cup cake

Fruit bread

Dried fruit: sultanas, apricots

Oat based biscuit or slice (i.e. Anzac)

Scone and pikelets

Yoghurt

TIPS:

1. Have your child prepare a list of the foods they enjoy and would like to see in their lunch box. If unhealthy items appear on the list, explain why they are and come up with a healthy alternative. Make a substitute you both agree on.

2. Preparing the lunch box the night before is a good time saving technique.

3. Bake snacks such as muffins, scones and pikelets in bulk and freeze.

4. Plan ahead! Think about the lunches you will be preparing for the upcoming week. Make a list and buy the ingredients when you do your weekly shopping.

5. Hot weather tips: Vegemite, jam, and peanut spreads perform well in heat. Best to pack a small ice pack into the lunch bag to keep food items safe in warmer weather.

6. DRINKS: Water, milk and fruit juice diluted with water are the best choices. If your child prefers sugary drinks, now is the time to introduce a healthy alternative. They will eventually drink what is offered to them. It is up to the parent to explain the positives of water, milk and diluted fruit juice.

By Louise Elcoat

lunch box